Animal-trap.



P. F. ELLIS.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 27, 1910.

17122671207: ffZ-d Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

Afiorney.

P. P. ELLIS.

- ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLIQATION FILED D110. 27, 1910.

1,058,355. Patented. A r. 8, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON, n. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERRAND F. ELLIS, OF ONEIDA, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR TO ONEIDA C01VIMUNI'1Y,

LIMITED, OF ONEIDA, NEW Y ORK. i

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERRAND F. ELLIS, of Oneida, in the county ofMadison, in thej State of New York, have invented new and; usefulImprovements in Animal-Traps, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full,j clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to certain improve-% ments in animal traps of thespring jaw type involving the use of spring arms united} at one end andhaving their free ends spring tensioned to spread apart and providedwith crossed jaws curved in opposite directions; and adapted to be heldin their open posi-; tion by suitable means at their junctions. with thespring arms, said holding means; being adapted to be tripped by asuitable; trigger extending at least partially across the openingbetween the aws when the -trap; is-set. The main object is to enable atrap of this? character to be made of a minimum number; of parts withoutexcessive waste of stock; and at the same time to assemble such parts insuch manner as to assure the necessary; strength and freedom of actionand to avoid; any possibility of the jaws being sprung, apart whenclosed upon an animal. In otheri words, I have sought to produce a trapof; this character which is light, strong and durable and capable ofbeing manufactured at a comparatively small cost.

Another object is to locate the means for; holding the trap in its openposition near the junction of the jaws with the spring arms so as not tointerfere with the free action of the spring-or free access of theanimal between the jaws and at the samef time to arrange the trippingtrigger so that it will project at least partially across the openingbetween said jaws when the trap is set.

Other objects and uses relating to specific: parts of the trap will bebrought out in the following description:'

In the drawings: Figures 1 and 2 are top plans of one form of myimproved trap in,

its sprung and set positions respectively. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe same trap. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View of the trap at thejl lllsltion of the jaws with the spring arms taken on lines M Fig. 1showing particularly the detent and tripping trigger therefor. Fig. 5 isa lengthwise sectional view of a portion of the same trap taken on line55, Fig. 3 as viewed from the under 'side' showing particularly theconnections between the jaws and spring arms and also the pivotal end ofthe tripping trigger.

Fig. 6 is also a lengthwise sectional view taken 'on line 6-6, Fig. 3showing the catch for interlocking with the detent. Fig. 7 is a planview of a trap similar to that shown in Fig. lexcept that the jaws areshown integral with the spring arms and theholding and releasingmechanism is somewhat modified. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the trapshown in Fig. 7. Figs. 9 and 10 are transverse sectional views takenrespectively on lines.1515 and 1616 Fig. 7. Figs. 11

-- and 12 are respectively a top plan and side elevation of a portion ofa trap showing a modified form of jaws in which one of the jaws isprovided with a lengthwise slot through which the other jaw plays.

The trap shown in Figs. 1 to 6.inclusive comprises a pair of spring arms1 preferably united integrally at one end and having their oppositeends. spring tensloned to spread apart and provided with crossed jaws 2which, in this instance, are made separately from but are rigidlysecured to the adjacent ends of the spring arms 1 in a mannerhereinafter described. The jaws are locked in their open positionagainst the action of the spring -1 by suitable holding means located inproximity to the junction of said jaws with the spring and, in thisinstance, consisting of a detent '.,-9- in the springs arms '1, andtheir;

inner ends upset or riveted against the adjacent faces of the springs torigidly lock the jaws thereto as best seen in Fig. 5.

The gripping portions of the jaws are substantially semi-circular andcurved in opposite directions and are disposed in intersecting planeswith their bases and ends overlapping and in sliding contact. That is,the bases of the jaws are deflected toward and preferably across eachother with their adjacent faces in sliding contact, while the oppositefaces of the outer ends are in sliding contact so that when the jawsclose upon the animal, they interlock or cross each other as shown inFig. 2, thereby preventing any possibility of the jaws being sprungapart laterally.

One end of the detent '3 is passed through a suitable opening -10-- inone of the spring arms -1'-- between the offset -6- and end of the shank7 and is preferably bent in the form of an eye 11 engaged with a pintle-12, said end -terminating in a hook 13 for interlocking engagement witha shoulder 1t on the catch plate t. The opposite end of the detent isextended laterally across the adjacent edges of the spring arms l andwhen in its holding position is seated in a recess15 in one end of thecatch plate to hold it against lateral shiftlng movement When the trapis set, the detent extends some distance beyond the spring arm -1opposite that to which it is pivoted and is engaged by a hook-shapedportion l6 of. the trigger arm -5 which serves to hold the detent in itslocking position.

The catch plate 4 is secured by suitable fastening means as rivets -l7to the spring arm -1 opposite that to which the detent 3'' is pivotedand projects inwardly therefrom so that when it is engaged by thehook-shaped portion 13 of the detent and the latter is held in itslocking position by the trigger -5, the jaws 2 will be held in their setposition against action of the spring arms 1. This trigger is preferablymade of comparatively stiff wire and is provided with a laterally projecting loop 18 extending through an aperture l9 in the spring 1- towhich the catch plate 4 is secured and is pivoted to said catch plate bya pivotal bolt or rivet 2O- as best seen in Figs. i and 5.-

The trigger is therefore pivoted to swing horizontally about a verticalaxis which is,

in this instance, located between the spring arms -1' while the hook l6is located some distance to the outside of the same arm to which thecatch plate is secured and it is therefore adapted to be movedhorizontally into and out of engagement with the detent -3- as thetrigger is rocked. The opposite end of the trigger is extended in thedirection of the jaws and referably to the outer ends thereof and whenthe trap is adjusted for use, this trigger extends across the openingbetween said jaws so that the slightest lateral pressure on the triggerby any portion of an animal which may enter between the jaws willdisengage the hook -16- from the detent, thereby releasing the detentfrom its holding position and allowing the jaws to instantly close uponthe animal.

In Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive I have shown a pair of spring arms 30integrally united at one end and having their opposite ends providedwith integral jaws -31 disposed in intersecting planes in substantiallythe same manner as shown in Fig. 1, the only substantial diiferencebeing that the jaws are integral with their spring arms rather thanbeing made of separate pieces. In this construction the number of partsare still further reduced and may be preferable to the structure shownin the previous figures. In like manner the means for holding andreleasing the jaws is somewhat simplified and consists, in thisinstance, of a detent -32- pivoted at 33 to one of the spring arms nearits junction with its corresponding jaw to swing in a horizontalposition or parallel with the plane of the jaws and is preferably madein the form of a bell-crank lever having one arm provided with a hook34c movable into and out of engagement with a shoulder 35 on theopposite spring arm. The other arm of the detent is provided with arecess 86 and shoulders 37 and 38 at opposite sides of the recess for apurpose presently described. A trigger arm -39 is pivoted at 40 to thesame spring arm to which the detent 32 is pivoted and is also adapted toswing horizontally, said trigger arm being provided with a comparativelyshort hookshaped extremity 41 movable into and out of the recess 36 orinto and out of engagement with the shoulder -37 for locking andreleasing the detent, the opposite end of the trigger being extendedacross the open side of one of the jaws as best seen in Fig. 7 where itis adapted to be engaged by an animal in entering between the jaws andthereby rocked sufficiently to release the detent and allow thejaws toclose upon the animal under the tension of the springs 30, the shoulder38 serving as a thumb-piece by means of which the detent is readilyoperated.

In Figs. 11 and 12 I have shown a pair of jaws 45 and 46 similar to thejaws 31 except that one of the jaws as 45 is made in two curved sectionshaving their bases and points secured together by suitable fasteningmeans as rivets 47-, the intervening portions being spaced apart to forma lengthwise slot 4:8 of suflicient depth to permit the free action ofthe jaw '-4t6 therethrough, the outer ends of the jaws being held apartby a spacing sleeve 49 which also serves as a limiting stop coactingwith the outer end of the other jaw to limit the opening movement ofsaid jaws. Otherwise the trap is the same as shown in Fig. 7.

WVhat I claim is:

1. An animal trap comprising spring arms united at one end and havingtheir opposite ends tensioned to spring apart, a pair of curvedinterlocking jaws attached to the respective ends of said springs, anangular plate mounted upon one of said springs, a detent pivoted uponthe other and adapted to engage the angular plate, and a trip inengagement with the detent.

2. An animal trap having spring operated crossed jaws curved in oppositedirections, a catch plate provided with a projecting shoulder mounted onone of said jaws, a detent having diverging arms mounted on the other,one of said arms adapted to engage the shoulder on the catch plat-e, anda trip operably engaged with the other arm for holding and releasing theengagement of the detent with the catch plate.

3. An animal trap comprising spring arms terminating in jaws which arecurved in 0pposite directions, a catch plate mounted upon one of saidarms, a trip mounted upon the catch plate, a detent mounted on the otherarm and having its ends extending at an angle to each other, one of saidends adapted to engage the catch plate and the FERRAND F. ELLIS.

Witnesses:

ORRIN D. WRIGHT, ELIZABETH O. SNOW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

